The Philippine Book Festival will be held on March 12-15 in 2026. It is a festival for all the book lovers out there, especially the ones in the Philippines. This book fair is one of the many initiatives of the National Book Development Board.  NBDB is the Philippines' book authority, dedicated to creating a vibrant, diverse, and equitable book publishing ecosystem.

The book festival is set to take place at  Megatrade Hall, SM Megamall, and the entrance is FREE, just register through this link: bit.ly/PBF2026Registration.

The Philippine Book Festival is not just a book fair; it’s a book experience!

 

I will be joining the Philippine Book Festival this year as an author through a consignment agreement with PaperKat Books and Ms. Kath Eustaquio-Derla. I am happy to tell you that two of my books will be available at the book festival, and they are The Restless Mind and It's Not About Us.

I won't be able to be there physically, but my books will be there for sure. They are at the PaperKat Books booth. Please do drop by. 

Experience the Philippine Book Festival this year for FREE! My books will see you there. Raxmat!

On my last day in Boracay, I took another round of the tour at the hostel where I stayed, Shortime Dormitel. It was a nice place to stay, especially for a solo traveler, as it was quite safe. 

It was a rainy day when I left the hostel as if the sky was crying because I was about to leave the island. Before leaving the dormitel, I made sure I had enough water to keep me hydrated throughout my trip back home. 

When I was already riding a multicab all the way to the port, I had a pretty meaningful chat with a local driver about a glimpse of what kind of life is there in their island. 

I arrived at Tambisaan port safely and ready to sail to Caticlaan airport. The boat ticket was a bit pricey for me, to be honest. For a Filipino touring her own country, it was expensive in Boracay. After quite a long negotiation, I finally got the amount I was willing to pay for. 

Thankfully, the sea was calm even in the rainy season. 

After the boat ride, I needed to take another tricycle ride to reach the airport. It was a silent ride this time with a noisy background. 

I got confused about where the airport was, because it was unlike the NAIA airport, but then again, it was just a small airport. 

I got to board an early flight with AirAsia that was good, but unfortunately, I had excess baggage weight and had to pay a fee, which was pretty much unacceptable for me, but I had no choice but to pay because of the souvenirs that I bought.

The sky had finally cleared up when I reached Caticlan airport, and it was a good sight. 

I got home safely after all the transfers of transport, and that's all, folks, for my Boracay trip! Just me and my attempt to vlog. 

My third day in Boracay Island, and this day was supposed to be a relaxing day after all the adventure yesterday, but the typhoon wouldn't let me rest. I had planned to have a reading at Angol Beach, but it was cancelled due to the rain, strong wind, and waves. 

I wasn't able to do any reading; I got a lot of steps walking back and forth on the shore while looking for some souvenirs. It was a good way to make up for all the workouts I missed since I returned to the Philippines. 

D'Mall was a popular commercial center in Boracay. You can find hotels. restaurants, souvenir shops, and people who offer different package tours. There were also individual vendors at the shore who sell local delicacies like turon (fried banana in a lumpia wrapper).      

I got a free voucher when I was approached by a sales agent (don't entertain them if you can move on without the free food, haha). The food was good and free, and the hotel was good. The experience was decent, but I wouldn't do it again. 

The real adventure began on my second day in Boracay Island. It was windy and rainy, since it was typhoon season in the Philippines. From the hostel, I headed over to Angol Beach to meet up with my cousin, Limboy. He helped me book a package tour, and it was also a good opportunity to catch up with him. 

We had to head to another beach called Bach Beach for the starting point of the package tour. The place was jam-packed with local and foreign tourists. The waves and wind were much calmer at Bach Beach.

Reaching our first destination, Ilig-iligan Beach, required a boat ride. From Bach Beach, a medium-sized boat was packed with mostly local tourists, and I think two foreigners. 

There were simple attractions like the trending 'photo opp on a crystal kayak' and also small stores. I wasn't surprised when I heard about pricey goods on the island. It's an island, and it must have taken extra effort and expenses to bring those goods to Ilig-iligan Island.

After quite some time at Ilig-iligan Island, our boat went to a part of the sea intended for snorkeling. I got to try a fresh coconut drink on the boat in the sea; the idea felt unique and refreshing. Snorkeling is an activity that I enjoy the most whenever I have a beach trip. I was planning not to try snorkeling in the seawater of Boracay Island because I had to pay extra for the environmental fee again. 

The under-the-sea experience is always scary for me, but the view is divine.

On this day, it was my second time experiencing ATV. I was still a little nervous, since it had been a while since I had gone to Bohol to do ATV in the vast land of Chocolate Hills. That was a good and fun memory. It wouldn't be a bad idea to visit Bohol again. 

ATV was tiring, but enjoyable. Moreover, the zipline was scary, but humans are scarier. Jump diving and kayaking are the inclusions of the package tour I got to try, which were not new to me, but still fun to do.